Anthony Veneziale
Freestyle Love Supreme
New York, NY USA
"The hardships make the wonderful times that much more wonderful, but they also turn you into who you are. It's not when you're at the top of the world that defines who you are-it's when you're at the bottom."
Career Roadmap
Anthony's work combines: Acting & Theatre, Entrepreneurship, and Communicating / Sharing Stories
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Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Advice for getting started
When I first moved to New York, I was so alone and scared, I had no idea what was coming next. However, there was something inside me that said, "You're not going to fail." It's just a matter of how long is it going to be hard for and coming to terms with that.
Here's the path I took:
High School
Bachelor's Degree
Film/Cinema/Media Studies
Wesleyan University
Life & Career Milestones
I've taken a lot of twists and turns
1.
Double-majored in film and American history at Wesleyan University. Moved to New York with no job and nothing but a mattress and $200.
2.
Warns that unless you have a job handed to you-and most don't-it's going to be hard for a while after you graduate college.
3.
Eventually some of his friends joined him, and they started a production company called Back House Productions.
4.
They rented out a basement below a bookshop, turned it into a black box theater, and began producing plays.
5.
He says the key to developing his production company was getting out there and networking, talking to as many people as he could.
6.
Their breakout play was In the Heights, which was a hip-hop/rap musical. The play's unique voice took it to Broadway, and it later won four Tony Awards, including "Best Musical."
7.
Created a show called Freestyle Love Supreme, which performs live, does education outreach, and is in development for television.
8.
Believes that everyone can freestyle rap-you just have to give yourself permission to tap into yourself and find the words.
Defining Moments
How I responded to discouragement
THE NOISE
Messages from Myself:
What am I doing? There is no way I am going to make it.
How I responded:
When I first moved to New York, I was so alone and scared, I had no idea what was coming next. However, there was something inside me that said, "You're not going to fail." It's just a matter of how long is it going to be hard for and coming to terms with that.
Experiences and challenges that shaped me
Unless someone is handing you something right out of school, making it as an entertainer is really hard. When I first moved to New York, I was living in a project building in Brooklyn. I had no job and no prospects. All I had was a mattress and $200.